Jacknife aims to be a ‘fast, convenient and healthy’ option

If you had informed Tanya Zhykharevich two many years in the past that she would be opening a new restaurant in March of 2022, she wouldn’t have believed you.

She and her company companion Jack Yip ended up place into “survival mode” when the pandemic hit, desperately making an attempt to adapt their initial restaurant, Pink, to meet up with the demands of people who did not want to dine in. They settled on a curbside pick-up solution for their sushi and Japanese fare menu at the West Washington Avenue restaurant, and that has remained well-known for the earlier two several years. In the course of the ebb and movement of pandemic constraints, Zhykharevich claims she started to recognize select-up orders have been below to remain.

“We have a definitely solid takeout enterprise at Red, but that’s by no means been our small business model,” Zhykharevich claims.

She states Red has turn out to be a lot more of a destination restaurant — the elegant eating home and dish presentation assistance make it a unforgettable meal  — but that practical experience was shed with speedy choose-up orders prospects preferred. The notion for Jacknife was born out of that realization. Zhykharevich claims more youthful generations are wanting for wholesome food selections that are just as hassle-free as finding a burger from a position like McDonalds.

“Jacknife is a younger model of Crimson, it’s [for] a new technology of rapidly informal [diners] that have extra vitality and long-expression aims,” Zhykarevich says. “[A Jackknife] is a software in your pocket, completely ready to go and help you. It is rapidly and it is easy, very same as Jacknife the cafe.”

Jacknife, which opened last Monday on East Washington Ave., aims to convey that advantage to the buyer whilst continue to giving balanced and tasty meals like Crimson. Jacknife provides three means to get — at the counter, on the website or at kiosks near the front doorway. Prospects can take in in shop, choose up their meals from a specified food items locker to delight in at house, or pick up from a curbside generate-thru system.

“It just goes again to efficiency, we required to deliver a way for all our guests to purchase and decide on up foods in a way that helps make them most cozy,” Zhykharevich states. “So it goes again to how to feed into people’s life and schedules the best we can.”

Healthful Eats
The menu at Jacknife is designed all-around a few primary sections: homemade dumplings, sushi rolls and bowls. Zhykharevich states the Pear Strain roll — a roll with salmon, pear, hemp hearts and an orange miso glaze — has been a supporter preferred via the initial days, with the steamed pork dumpling near powering.

You are going to only find 5 varieties of fish on the menu the proprietors say they want prospects to be equipped to decide on their meal with out also much anxiety.

“The strategy for Jacknife originated from what we know, which is sushi, and we certainly desired to emphasize that section,” Zhykharevich claims.

She claims that even though sushi is in all probability however the major draw on the menu, Jacknife aims to have much more alternatives to people who could not like uncooked fish. Alongside with the dumplings, Jacknife features a wide range of bowls, the place customers have the solution to pick their foundation and protein.

“As a great deal as I really like sushi — and I truly enjoy sushi — I’m in love with our bowls,” Zhykharevich says. “They are just so fulfilling. Additionally you are not meant to try to eat sushi daily, so it’s good to blend it up.”

Jacknife also has a young children menu that consists of buttered noodles and chicken teriyaki bites. 

Neighborhood Reaction
As a result of the initially week, Zhykharevich says she could not have questioned for a much better response from the community.

“It’s been so wonderful to see how welcomed we ended up by people today,” she states. “But I assume we’re only at the commencing of our journey, so with any luck , this like will carry on to increase and provide us extra guests.”

She states her and Yip’s activity as house owners is to listen to feedback and answer in the suitable way. Feedback by means of the initially pair weeks have currently specified the pair a few concepts on how to tweak the menu.

Nevertheless, Zhykharevich pressured that they aren’t making an attempt to get ahead of themselves.

“I’m not a person of those people today who has a one-yr approach, or a five-year approach,” she says. “Our aim is to make this restaurant welcoming to the local community, we just want to get it one particular working day at a time.”